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Last week, a member of our community with a promising legal career lost the opportunity to serve as a legal clerk for the Supreme Court of Michigan. This is because concerns have been raised about his decades-long conviction in which he accepted responsibility and fulfilled his obligations to society. .
As representatives of organizations dedicated to equal justice before the law, members of the Courts of the State, as well as the Supreme Court, are responsible for the mistakes made in the judicial system by competent and qualified people working in the judicial system. I am annoyed by dissent based solely on their distant past.
Excluding convicted people from employment, public service, or the legal system goes against democratic values.
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Even when people are convicted of crimes and imprisoned, they are still members of our community. They don’t stop their children, their families, or their ambitions living outside the walls of prisons and prisons. Unfortunately, after completing their sentences, including as typified by the recent case in the Michigan Supreme Court, they face major obstacles to resuming and rebuilding their lives.
After surviving a hardship-filled system of racial and economic prejudice and incarceration, past convicts are subject to highly restrictive surveillance, surveillance, and It continues to be penalized through registration (which often requires you to pay a nasty fee). social stigma. On top of that, they face major obstacles when trying to re-enter the workforce.
By allowing these unjust and punitive practices to continue, we deprive the community of contributing members. And those who have already repaid their debt to society for past mistakes are deprived of the economic and social stability that allows them to participate fully in their communities, along with their families and children.
The past decade or so has seen important steps in the right direction. More resources are being provided to support those re-entering the community after incarceration. There are now laws that allow the dismissal of certain convictions. After years of litigation and appeals, the boy, previously sentenced to a cruel and unusual life sentence with no chance of parole, is more likely to be forced to commit suicide, recognizing that most young people deserve a second chance. Humanely outraged.
Many of these advances have been at the request of people who have first-hand knowledge of what obstacles and injustices can occur after being released from prison or prison. It is precisely these perspectives that are needed to That is why we must ensure that those who pay their debts to society have access to career opportunities at all levels, including the legal system and the courts.
Of course, there is still much to do. More legislation and litigation is needed to bring justice to those incarcerated or formerly incarcerated, and it will take a number of people to change their minds and thoughts on issues related to our criminal justice system. It can take years, even decades.
Recent events in the Michigan Supreme Court are a reminder of how important it is to have conversations that change hearts and minds. Misconceptions about people with records are common across the political spectrum and in every corner of our working and social world.
Recent events are also a reminder that we have an opportunity to make impactful improvements now. Everyone should reach out to lawmakers and urge them to support legislation that would end sentences to life in prison for young people without the possibility of parole. Studies show that longer prison terms do not make communities safer or deter crime. Keeping people locked up for years unnecessarily after they no longer pose a threat is also costly. That’s why we support “second look” laws that allow sentencing judges to review anyone serving a prison sentence after serving a number of years, depending on age and other factors. increase.
Through the actions of everyone, whether our state’s renowned leaders, business owners, landlords, or personal friends, recognizing that every member of our community deserves a second chance and an opportunity to contribute. Can bring about change… at every level of society. In time, I hope, there will be widespread acceptance of core democratic values ​​such as redemption, opportunity and equal justice before the law.
Lauren Kogari is Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Michigan. Tony Gant is Director of Policy and Program Operations for Nation Outside, a nonprofit advocating for the rights of previously incarcerated people. This submission is supported by the Michigan State Criminal Defense Attorneys, Detroit Center for Justice, Eastern District of Michigan Federal Community Advocate, Michigan Cooperation to End Mass Incarceration, Michigan Public Policy Federation, Michigan Liberation, and Michigan Youth Justice Center. and was also signed by the Michigan criminal defense team. voice.
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